Tobacco-manipulating machines



F. A. M. LABBE TOBACCO-MANIPULATING MACHINES Aug. 29, 1967 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 1.

ATTORNEYS Aug 29, 1967 F. A. M. LABBE TOBACCO-MANIFULATING MACHINESOriginal Filed June 1, 1960 5 Sheets$heet z INVENTOR qua/c1; 0- M-Lafgfi wmmpaa, We 1 ATTORNEYS F. M. LABBE TOBAGCOMANIPULAT'ING MACHINESAiig. I29, i967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Original Filed June 1, 1960 ATTORNEYSAug. 29, 1967 F. A M. LABBE 3,338,247

' TOBACCO-MAMPULAIING MACHINES Original Fiied June 1, 1960 5Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR waTm (0 ATTORNEYS 19.67 F. A; M. LABBE Q3,338,247

TOBAGCO-MANIPULATING MACHINES Original Filed June 1, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet5 l N V E NTO R 9 3w", q-m .4az& wmmcapm s w ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent Ofl 3,338,247 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 ice 3,338,247TOBACCO-MANIPULATING MACHINES Francis Auguste Maurice Labbe,Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, assignor to The Molins Organisation Limited,London, England, a British company Continuation of application Ser. No.33,137, June 1, 1960. This application Apr. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 446,439Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 3, 1959, 19,060/59 6Claims. (Cl. 131-21) This invention concerns improvements in or relatingto tobacco-manipulating machines, for example continuous rodcigarette-making machines; this application is a continuation of mycopending application Ser. No. 33,137, filed June 1, 1960, nowabandoned.

Cigarettes are formed from cut tobacco enclosed in wrapping material.This wrapping material is generally made of paper or other suitablematerial. Sometimes, tobacco is a constituent of the wrapping material,such as when reconstituted tobacco is formed into wrapping material forthe purpose. The term cigarette when used herein shall include all suchcases.

It has been proposed to form a tobacco stream or filler, in a continuousrod cigarette-making machine, containing more than the required amountof tobacco, and to remove the surplus tobacco so as to reduce the streamor filler to a desired depth or cross-sectional size. One example ofmechanism for accomplishing this is disclosed in copending applicationSer. No. 373,595, filed May 1, 1964, now Patent No. 3,288,147, issuedNov. 29, 1966, (which application is a continuing application of Ser.No. 32,959, filed May 31, 1960, now abandoned) and assigned to theassignees of the present application.

According to the present invention there is provided atobacco-manipulating machine, such as a continuous rod cigarette-makingmachine, having means to form a tobacco filler and feed it lengthwise,wherein tobacco is supplied to the filler in excess of the amountrequired, and surplus tobacco is removed from the filler by a trimmingdevice, and wherein means is provided to measure, or to detectvariations in, the quantity of surplus tobacco.

It will be appreciated that if surplus tobacco is removed from thefiller in such a way as to reduce the filler to a desired (but notnecessarily constant) depth or crosssectional size, detection of thequantity of tobacco being so removed at any given time or over a givenperiod of time can provide an indication of the gross quantity oftobacco which is being supplied for the formation of the original streamor filler. Thus in a continuous rod cigarette-making machine, detectionof variations in the quantity of tobacco so removed from the filler canindicate variations in the rate at which tobacco is being fed from thehopper, or alternatively can indicate that some change has occurred inthe nature or condition of the tobacco being fed, such that the rate offeed from the hopper (which rate may have remained more or lessconstant) has become either excessive or insufficient to provide afiller whose depth or cross-sectional size is in excess of the desiredsize by the required amount. For example, in a particular case it may bedecided to form the original filler with, say, 15% surplus tobacco, andif it is found that either more or less than the required 15 is beingremoved, this indicates that too much or too little tobacco,respectively, is being supplied to the original filler. Correspondingadjustment can then be made to the arrangements for feeding tobacco toform the filler, for example by altering the speed of the hopper.

The machine may comprise means to receive the surplus tobacco removedfrom the filler, and means to convey the said surplus tobacco e.g., as astream, past a measuring or detecting device which measures, or detectsvariations in, the quantity of tobacco passing the device. The saiddevice may comprise a movable, e.g. pivoted, element arranged in contactwith surplus tobacco conveyed as a stream, so as to be movable inresponse to variations. in the depth of the said stream, and may furthercomprise means actuated by movements of the said element (e.g. bymovements beyond predetermined limits) to vary the operation of themachinefor example to vary the speed of the tobacco hopper, or otherwiseto regulate the feed of tobacco to form the original filler.

It'may in some cases be preferred that the measuring or detecting deviceshould be arranged to indicate longterm variations in the amount ofsurplus tobacco, rather than local fluctuations, and in such a case itis desirable that the stream of removed tobacco should, as far aspracticable, be fed past the device in a condition in which purely localvariations in its depth are smoothed out. For this purpose the stream ofremoved surplus tobacco may be conveyed on a vibrating conveyor whosevibrating action tends to smooth out local variations in quantity oftobacco passing the said device, eg in depth of the tobacco stream.

Alternatively the measuring or detecting device may comprise means topass air through the stream of removed tobacco, and'means to measure, orto detect variations in, the resistance offered by the tobacco to thepassage of air therethrough. For example the Stream of removed tobaccomay be conveyed on a porous conveyor through which air is drawn into achamber, so that variations in the said resistance cause variations inthe air pressure in said chamber, which pressure variations may beutilised to actuate means to vary the speed of the hopper or otherwiseto regulate the feed of tobacco to form the original fi er.

Further according to the invention there is provided atobacco-manipulating machine, such as a continuous rod cigarette-makingmachine, having means to form a filler and feed it lengthwise, whereintobacco is supplied to the filler in excess of the amount required, andsurplus tobacco is removed from the filler by a trimming device, andwherein means is provided adjacent the untrimmed filler to measure, orto detect variations in, the quantity of tobacco in that part of theuntrimmed filler which extends in depth beyond the depth to which thefiller is to be trimmed. For example means may be provided to draw airthrough that part of the untrimmed filler which extends beyond the saiddepth, into a chamber, so that variations in resistance to the passageof air through said part cause variations in the air pressure in thesaid chamber, which pressure variations may be utilised to actuate meansto regulate the feed of tobacco to form the filler, e.g. by varying thespeed of the hopper.

Further according to the invention there is provided atobacco-manipulating machine, such as a continuous rod cigarette-makingmachine, having means to form a filler and feed it lengthwise, whereintobacco is supplied to the filler in excess of the amount required, andsurplus tobacco is removed from the filler by a trimming device, andwherein means are provided to measure, or to detect variations in, thequantity of tobacco in the filler before trimming and in the fillerafter trimming, respectively, whereby an indication can be obtained ofthe quantity of tobacco being removed, which indication may be utilisedto actuate means to regulate the feed of tobacco to form the filler,e.g. by varying the speed of the hopper. For example means may beprovided to draw air through the filler at a position before it istrimmed and at another position after it has been trimmed, so that acomparison 'may be obtained between the resistance to the flow of airthrough the trimmed filler and through the untrimmed fillerrespectively. The machine may comprise two air cells adjacent thetrimmed filler and the untrimmed filler respectively, and two chambersseparated by a movable diaphragm and communicating with the said aircells so that the pressure in the two respective chambers corresponds tothe pressure in the two respective air cells, the said diaphragm beingmovable in response to variations in the difference in pressure in thetwo chambers.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described by wayof example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 illustrates diagrammatically an arrangement whereby surplustobacco removed from a tobacco filler is subjected to a measuring ordetecting operation;

FIGURE 2 illustrates diagramatically an alternative arrangement to thatshown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are respectively a partial elevational and a bottom planview illustrating an arrangement which differs from those in FIGURES land 2 and in which surplus tobacco is measured before its removal fromthe filler, the filler per se, being omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 5 diagrammatically illustrates a further dilferent arrangementwhereby the quantity of surplus tobacco removed is detected by measuringthe filler both before and after removal of surplus tobacco, toascertain the quantity removed; and

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, showing acontinuous rod cigarette-making machine to which any of the detecting ormeasuring devices illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 can be applied.

The several alternative devices illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 are intendedfor use on a continuous rod cigarettemaking machine such as isillustrated in FIGURE 6, and and which will be briefly describedhereinafter with reference to that figure. In this machine (which isbasically similar to that described and illustrated in US. Patent No.3,030,966 dated April 24, 1962), a continuous tobacco stream or filler,containing more than the required amount of tobacco, is formed on aperforated conveyor to which it is held by suction, and surplus tobaccois removed from the stream by a trimming device.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, a continuous tobacco filler is formed (aswill be hereinafter described) on the underside of a perforated conveyorband 1 (see also FIG- URE 6), of which FIGURE 1 shows an end view insection. The tobacco filler, which when originally formed is of greaterdepth and contains more tobacco than is required, is held by suction tothe band 1, suitable suction means being arranged to draw air throughthe filler and the band and through a suction chamber 2 (see also FIG-URE 6).

A pair of opposed rotating trimming discs 3 arranged at a desireddistance from the band 1 co-operate with a rotating brush 4 to removesurplus tobacco from the originally formed filler so as to reduce thelatter to a desired depth. The surplus tobacco so removed is swept bythe brush 4 on to a vibrating plate conveyor 5 mounted on leaf springs6, one of which is oscillated by a suitable crank mechanism. The tobaccoreceived on the vibrating conveyor 5 is fed as a stream 7, by theoscillatory movements of the plate, towards the left in FIGURE 1, and istransferred on to a further vibrating plate conveyor 8 by which it isfed to any desired destination, preferably to a position from which itis again fed to the conveyor 1. For example it may be returned to thetobacco hopper of the machine.

Above the conveyor 5 is mounted a detector flap 9, pivoted at 10, andarranged to rest on the surface of the tobacco stream 7. The flap is oflight construction and carries a counterweight 11 whereby the flap restslightly on the tobacco and exerts little pressure on it, but can swingup and down in response to variations in the depth of the stream 7 asthe latter moves past the flap.

Fixed to the fiap pivot is an arm 12 having a projection 13 arranged tobear against a spring contact element 14 secured to a fixed part at 15.The element 14, which is biassed towards the arm 12 so as to maintaincontact with the projection 13, has its upper contact end locatedbetween two adjustable electrical contacts 16 and 17 connected to areversible electric motor I18 so that engagement by the element 14 ofeither the contact 16 or the contact 17 closes a circuit whereby themotor 18 is started up so as to turn its spindle 19 in one direction orthe other.

The spindle 19 is connected by a chain drive 20 to a screwed bush 21having sprocket teeth which run on a fixed hollow cylindrical screw 22through which passes a shaft 23, driven by the hopper motor (not shown).Also mounted on the shaft 23 is an expanding pulley device, whichincludes a fixed cone 24 and a movable cone 25 slidable on a spline onthe shaft 23. Between the cones are a number of curved segments 26 whichcan slide in grooves (not shown) in the conical faces of the cones asthe cone 25 moves towards or away from the cone 24, thereby forcing thesegments radially outwardly. The segments are held to the cones byexpander elements 27 which also urge the segments to move radiallyinwardly when the cone 25 moves away from the cone 24. Movement of thecone 25 along the shaft is effected by the screwed bush 21, suitablethrust rings being provided to cause the cone 25 to move towards thecone 24 when the bush 21 is rotated one way, while when the bush 21rotates the other way the cones are urged apart, by the pressure of thesegments which are urged radially inwardly by the expanders 27 and alsoby a belt 28 which runs over the expanding pulley formed by the movablesegments, and also over a pulley 29 on a shaft 30 which is the drivingshaft for the tobacco hopper, shown diagrammatically at 31. Theconstruction of the variable pulley device is illustrated more fully inFIGURE 4 of Molins US. Patent No. 2,815,759, dated Dec. 10, 1957.

Thus when the reversible motor is started in one direction or the other,by movement of the contact element 14, the drive to the shaft 30 iseither speeded up or slowed down, thus increasing or decreasing the rateof feed of tobacco from the hopper to form the tobacco filler.

FIGURE 2 shows an alternative arrangement in which tobacco removed fromthe filler and received by a vibrating conveyor 5 is transferred on to aperforated conveyor 40 extending over a suction chamber 41 by which airis drawn through the tobacco and the conveyor. A small air cell orchamber 42 inside the chamber 41 is in communication by a pipe 43 withthe source of suction (not shown) by which air is drawn from thechamber, and also communicates by a pipe 44 with a pile of flexible aircapsules 45, so that the pressure within the capsules corresponds tothat in the air cell or chamber 42.

Fixed to a thin metal diaphragm forming the lower face of the lowermostcapsule is a rod 46. The diaphragm is arranged to be moved inwardly oroutwardly in response to changes in air pressure in the capsules, sothat the rod 46 moves upwardly or downwardly accordingly.

The lower part of the rod 46 forms part of a sensitive valve of ahydraulic amplifier shown diagrammatically at 47, and which may beconstructed as disclosed in the specification and drawings of US. PatentNo. 3,089,- 497 dated May 14, 19 63. Movement of the valve istransmitted to a piston 46a which causes movement of a lever 48 to whichis coupled by means of a link 49 a lever 50 of a control valve 51, whichin accordance with the position of the lever 50 regulates the supply ofoil from a known oil pump 52 to a known oil motor 53. The oil motor 53drives the shaft 54 of the tobacco hopper 55, and the speed of thehopper is thus regulated in accordance with the air pressure in the cell42 and capsules 45, and thus is varied in accordance with the quantityof tobacco carried past the air cell 42 by the conveyor 40.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show a further alternative arrangement in which thedetecting operation is performed on the untrimmed stream or filler, sothat the quantity of surplus tobacco is detected before removal from thefiller. Side guides 61 and 62 extend from the perforated conveyor band 1(which is identical with the band 1 in FIG- URE 1) to confine thetobacco filler laterally as it approaches the trimming discs 3 in thedirection shown by the arrow. An aperture or duct 63 is formed in theside guide 61, just below the level of the trimming discs 3, see FIGURE3, and communicates with an air pipe 64, FIGURE 4. The aperture 63 isinclined rearwardly from the inner surface of the guide 61, as shown inFIGURE 4, to reduce the risk of tobacco particles entering the aperturefrom the filler. The pipe 64 is connected to apparatus which isidentical with the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2 and designated in thatfigure by the reference numerals 45 to 55 inclusive, the pipe 64corresponding to the pipe 44 in FIGURE 2.

Air is drawn upwardly through the tobacco filler into the suctionchamber 2 (see also FIGURES 1 and 6), and the pressure of the air in thefiller at the level of the aperture 63 is communicated to the pile ofcapsules 45, see FIGURE 2. Thus any variations in the pressure of air inthe pipe 64, and in the capsules 45 connected to the pipe, indicatevariations in the resistance to the passage of air towards the band 1offered by the tobacco in that part of the filler below the level atwhich the filler is to be trimmedthat is to say, by the surplus tobaccowhich is to be removed by the trimming discs. Such variations thereforeprovide an indication of variations in the quantity of such surplustobacco passing the aperture 63, or in other words variations in thequantity of surplus tobacco in the filler, which surplus is to beremoved by the trimming device.

These pressure variations are utilised to vary the speed of the tobaccohopper in exactly the same way as described above with reference toFIGURE 2.

In any of the constructions described above, provision may also be madefor varying the level of the trimming discs 3 relatively to that of theconveyor band 1 in response to the measuring or detecting operations,for example as in Lanore U.S. Patent No. 2,938,521, granted May 31,1960, or in US. Patent No. 3,089,497 dated May 14, 1963. Thus in eitherof the arrangements described with reference to FIGURES 2 to 4, anadditional hydraulic amplifier such as 47, FIGURE 2, may be connected toan additional pile 45 of air capsules, which latter may be put incommunication with the air cell or chamber 42, FIGURE 2, or the pipe 64in the construction described with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3. Suchadditional hydraulic amplifier may be utilised to effect up and downmovement of the trimming discs 3, for example in the manner disclosed inthe specification and drawings of US. Patent No. 3,089,497 so as to varythe quantity of tobacco removed from the filler;

A further alternative arrangement is illustrated diagrammatically inFIGURE 5. In this construction two air cells or chambers 72 and 73 areprovided, both of which communicate with atmosphere through theperforated conveyor band 1 and the tobacco filler held thereto bysuction from the suction chamber 2. Air is drawn from both cells througha branched pipe 74. The cell 72 is located upstream of the trimmingdiscs 3 so as to draw air through the nntrimmed filler, while the cell73 is beyond the trimming discs so as to draw air through the trimmed.

filler, the level or depth of the tobacco filler before and aftertrimming being indicated in FIGURE 5 by dot and dash lines T, T

The two air cells 72 and 73 communicate respectively with closedchambers 75 and 76 which are separated by a flexible diaphragm 77. A rod78 fixed to the diaphragm 77 extends through a suitably sealed openingin the wall of the chamber 75. The diaphragm is exposed on oppositesides to different air pressures corresponding to the pressures in thecells 72 and 73, since the cell 73 is positioned over the trimmed fillerwhich offers less resistance to air flow than does the untrimmed filler,and the pressure in the chamber 76 will thus be higher than that in thechamber 75. Accordingly the diaphragm is biased towards the left, FIGURE5, by a spring 79 in order to establish a central position for thediaphragm and rod 78 corresponding to a standard pressure differencebetween the two chambers, which in turn corresponds to a standarddifference between the quantity of tobacco in the trimmed filler and inthe trimmer before filling.

Thus any variations in the difference between the quantity of tobacco inthe filler before and after trimming will result in movement of thediaphragm 77 and lengthwise movement of the rod 78. These movements canbe utilised to regulate the operation of the machine, for example byvarying the hopper speed. Thus the rod 78 may form part of a sensitivevalve in the same way as does the rod 46 in the construction describedwith reference to FIGURE 2, and may accordingly act through a hydraulicamplifier such as 47, FIGURE 2, to regulate an oil motor such as 53,FIGURE 2, by which the hopper is driven.

It will be seen that since the above described arrangement gives anindication of variations in the dilference in quantity of tobaccobetween the trimmed and the untrimmed filler, this indication is in factan indication of variations in the quantity of tobacco removed by thediscs 3. These indications are, however, obtained by comparison betweenthe trimmed filler and the filler before trimming, instead of directlyfrom the tobacco actually removed, or to be removed, as in thearrangement described with reference to FIGURES 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, this illustrates a continuous cigarettemaking machine comprising suitable apparatus for feeding tobacco to forma tobacco stream or filler having an excess of tobacco. Thetobacco-feeding apparatus shown in FIGURE 6 is in general similar tothat shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings of US. Patent No. 3,030,965 datedApril 24, 1962 modified as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings of US.Patent No. 3,019,793 dated Feb. 6, 1962, but shows in addition theperforated conveyor 1, the suction chamber 2, the trimming discs 3,

the brush 4, and the vibrating plate conveyors 5 and 8, described abovewith reference to FIGURES 1 to 5 of the present drawings. The apparatusfor feeding tobacco to the conveyor 1 is as described in theabove-mentioned US. Patent No. 3,030,965 and US. Patent No. 3,019,793,to which reference should be made for a full description. For thepurposes of the present application it is suflicient to say, withreference to the tobacco-feeding arrangements shown in FIGURE 6, thattobacco is picked from a carded drum 101 by a picker roller 102 and isimpelled upwardly through a passage 103 by a hi-gh-speed air stream tothe perforated conveyor 1. A proportion of the air flowing through thepassage 103 is drawn out of the passage through apertures 104 into asuction chamber 105 through a duct 106, which are as shown and fullydescribed in U.S. Patent No. 3,019,793.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the vibrating plate conveyor 8 extends over thecarded drum 101, and the surplus tobacco conveyed by the conveyor 8 canthus be returned to the main tobacco supply in any suitable way so as tobe fed again to the conveyor 1. I

The tobacco-feeding arrangements illustrated are arranged to feedtobacco to the conveyor 1 in excess of the quantity required in thefinal fi-ller, the excess being removed by trimming as explained above.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A continuous rod cigarette-making machine having means to supplytobacco to form a relatively narrow tobacco filler stream on anelongated conveyor, said means being arranged to supply to the saidstream tobacco in excess of what is required, the machine furthercomprising means to remove surplus tobacco from the stream, a detectingdevice to ascertain the quantity of said surplus tobacco so removed fromthe stream, means to move the removed surplus tobacco past the saiddetecting device, and regulating means, operatively connected with saiddetecting device, to regulate the operation of the said means to supplytobacco to the stream, in accordance with the quantity of surplustobacco passing said detecting device.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said device comprises amovable element arranged in contact with surplus tobacco conveyed pastsaid element so as to be movable in response to variations in the depthof said surplus tobacco.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, including a porous conveyor on whichthe removed tobacco is conveyed, a chamber, and means to draw airthrough said removed tobacco and said conveyor into said chamber, sothat variations in the res-istance oifered by the removed tobacco to thepassa-ge of air therethrough cause variations in the air pressure insaid chamber, the said pressure variations being utilised to actuatesaid regulating means.

4. For use in a cigarette making machine which includes adjustablestream forming means for forming a primary tobacco stream, meansdefining a final tobacco stream whence a cigarette rod is formed,conveying means between said primary and final streams, and a removalmeans adjacent the conveying means, said conveying means including aforward feeding conveyor for conveying tobacco from a discharge end ofthe primary stream to said removal means, said removal means acting todivide the tobacco reaching it into said final stream and an excessstream: 7

apparatus for maintaining a substantially constant rate of flow oftobacco in said excess stream, which apparatus comprises (a) a detectordisposed adjacent said excess stream for measuring the amount of tobaccoin said excess stream, and

(b) means responsive to said detector for controlling said adjustablestream forming means to maintain substantially constant the rate of flowof tobacco in said excess stream as formed by said removal means.

5. In a continuous rod cigarette-making machine having means for forminga relatively narrow filler stream on an elongated conveyor wherein saidfiller stream contains tobacco in excess of that required in the finalfiller such that the cross-sectional size of the filler stream isgreater than that of the final filler, means to remove the excesstobacco from the filler stream to reduce the said crosssectional size,and means to form a second stream of the removed excess tobacco on anelongated linear conveyor adapted to carry the said excess tobacco awayfrom the filler stream, the improvement comprising a detector deviceincluding a chamber, and means to draw air through tobacco in saidsecond stream into said chamber, so that variations in the quantity oftobacco in said second stream cause variations in the air pressure insaid chamber, and regulating means actuated by said detector device toregulate the oper-ation of the said means for forming the filler stream.

6. In a continuous rod cigarette-making machine having means for forminga relatively narrow filler stream on an elongated conveyor wherein saidfiller stream contains tobacco in excess of that required in the finalfiller such that the cross-sectional size of the filler stream isgreater than that of the said filler, means to remove the excess tobaccofrom the filler stream at a level spaced from said conveyor to reducethe said cross-sectional size to that required for the said filler, andwalls upstream of the said means to remove excess tobacco, to confinethe filler stream laterally, the improvement wherein at least one ofsaid walls has duct means extending therethrough, upstream of thelocation where tobacco is removed from the filler stream, and incommunication with the filler stream at substantially the level at whichthe excess tobacco is separated from the filler stream, means to passair through the filler stream in a direction toward the conveyor,detector means in communication with said duct means to detectvariations in air pressure in the filler stream at the level of saidduct means, and regulating means actuated by said detector means toregulate the operation of said means for forming the tobacco stream.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,808,794 6/1931 Stelzer 131-110X 1,879,016 9/ 1932 Austin. 2,163,415 6/ 1939 Stephano 131-21 2,340,9142/1944 Whitaker 131-21 2,407,100 9/1946 Richardson. 2,516,932 8/ 1950Wainright. 2,815,759 12/1957 Molins et a1. 131-21 2,843,88 7/ 1958 Lewiset al. 2,861,683 11/1958 Gilman 131-21 X 2,938,521 5/1960 Lanore 131-212,952,262 9/1960 Pocock et a1 13131 3,113,576 12/1963 Bell 13t-21FOREIGN PATENTS 1,179,992 12/ 1958 France.

331,333 7/ 1930 Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner.

1. A CONTINUOUS ROD CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINE HAVING MEANS TO SUPPLYTOBACCO TO FORM A RELATIVELY NARROW TOBACCO FILLER STREAM ON ANELONGATED CONVEYOR, SAID MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO SUPPLY TO THE SAIDSTREAM TOBACCO IN EXCESS OF WHAT IS REQUIRED, THE MACHINE FURTHERCOMPRISING MEANS TO REMOVE SURPLUS TOBACCO FROM THE STREAM, A DETECTINGDEVICE TO ASCERTAIN THE QUANTITY OF SAID SURPLUS TOBACCO SO REMOVED FROMTHE STREAM, MEANS TO MOVE THE REMOVED SURPLUS TOBACCO PAST THE SAIDDETECTING DEVICE, AND REGULATING MEANS, OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAIDDETECTING DEVICE, TO REGULATE THE OPERATION OF THE SAID MEANS TO SUPPLYTOBACCO TO THE STREAM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUANTITY SURPLUS TOBACCOPASSING SAID DETECTING DEVICE.